CHELTON RADOMES SUPPORTS WORLD’S FIRST HIGH SPEED TRAIN (HST) BROADBAND ACCESS SERVICE

Chelton Radomes is pleased to provide to 21Net the high performance radome integral to its live commercial service on the Paris - Brussels HST operated by Thalys.

Supported by the ESA (European Space Agency), 21Net's innovative technology combines three key elements: a bi-directional antenna on the roof of the train, Wi-Fi access points inside the carriages and a multi-megabit satellite link carrying incoming and outgoing data flows, thus connecting the train's wireless network to the Internet.

The radome covering the roof mounted antenna illustrates the full design and manufacturing capabilities offered by Chelton. Although outwardly a simple structure, it must combine the electrical performance requirements of low beam deflection and low transmission loss with the structural and environmental stresses incurred, for example, when two trains pass at full speed in a tunnel.

Chelton expertise ensures that low loss and aberration is achieved across a broad band covering both transmit and receive functions at low cost. Chelton has worked closely with 21Net to meet the needs of this first service operated by Thalys, and for future projects of this type.

Further media information:

Story added 3rd May 2005

The project took a major step forward with the flight mid December of the second trial aircraft, PA2.

This is the first aircraft to fly equipped with the full Mission System.

Full scale system trials began with a second flight on 12th January in which the main radar was operating, through a Chelton supplied nose radome.

Chelton Radomes also supply the fin mounted SATCOM radome and the suite of defensive aids radomes mounted on the wing tips, nose and MAD boom.

Story added 28th Jan 2005

Chelton Radomes Ltd. made a significant contribution to the 26th August first flight of the new RAF Maritime Patrol Aircraft, the Nimrod MRA4. Radomes for the Radar, Satcom and Electronic Surveillance antennas were designed and manufactured by Chelton, and can be seen in grey on the picture attached.

A worthy successor to the highly successful Nimrod MR2, and drawing on around 25 years of that aircraft’s experience, Nimrod MRA4 will be a modern, adaptable, highly capable fully integrated Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) weapon system. It will offer unrivalled operational effectiveness, incorporating an advanced technical and mission capability and a fully integrated training system and logistic support package. As such the Nimrod MRA4 will fulfil the United Kingdom’s maritime patrol, reconnaissance, intelligence and strike requirements for many years to come.

Chelton Radomes Ltd. Designs, manufactures and tests high performance radomes for Aerospace and Defence applications. In addition to Nimrod, Chelton supplies radomes for the Typhoon, Tornado and Apache aircraft operated by the RAF, and a variety of other aircraft projects.

Additional details of Nimrod can be obtained from malcolm.adams@baesystems.com.

Additional details of Chelton Radomes Ltd. can be obtained from nick.savage@radomes.co.uk

Story added Sept/04

Chelton Radomes can be found at the Farnborough Air Show on the Cobham Stand, B11 in Hall 3.

The Chelton stand will feature the contribution made to Eurofighter Typhoon from Chelton Radomes, which supplies the full suite of Typhoon radomes from nose to tail.

Chelton Radomes Stevenage (CRL) supplies the radome for the CAPTOR radar, as part of the Eurofighter Nose Radome Consortium. In addition, under contract to Chelton Electrostatics, CRL supplies radomes for the fin top UHF/VHF antenna, CRPA antenna and the two strake ILS antennas.

Chelton Radomes Witney supplies under contract to BAES Avionics the MAW and DASS radomes, a total of eight precision composite structures designed to optimise RF performance. Examples of the fin top, strake and DASS radomes will be included in the Chelton display, their positions on the aircraft indicated in the plan forms below.

Story added July 2004

CHELTON RADOMES SUPPORT TO RAF AWACS FLEET

Chelton Radomes Limited (CRL), under contract to FRA, have been providing in-service support to the RAF E3D Sentry rotodome. Until now this consisted of Line 1 working parties at RAF Waddington, but a recent repair has been undertaken at CRL, Stevenage. The pictures following illustrate the arrival of the half rotodome on site, where damage assessment will shortly be followed by commencement of repair.

The website will be updated as repairs proceed.

Story added June 2004

The first ASTOR aircraft underwent its maiden flight on 26th May 20004 from what is now the L-3 Communications facility in Greenville, Texas. The modified Bombardier Global Express is fitted with an active synthetic aperture radar for ground surveillance.
The remaining four aircraft will be modified in the U.K. at Raytheon’s Broughton site in Wales.
The aircraft in RAF service will be known as ‘Sentinel’

Other pictures can be found at www.raytheon.co.uk

Story added June/04

CHELTON COMPOSITES GROUP SUPPORT TO ASTOR PROGRAMME

The Chelton Composites Group is heavily involved in the UK MoD ASTOR (Airborne Stand-Off Radar) battlefield surveillance programme. Chelton Radomes Ltd. supply the Satcom and fore and aft datalink radomes to prime contractor Raytheon, whilst Cobham Composites Ltd. supply the precision composite antenna array support via BAE SYSTEMS Avionics.

The aircraft for UK modification arrived at Broughton, N. Wales, in February, a major programme milestone.

All five aircraft are scheduled to be in service with 5 Squadron RAF Waddington by 2007.

Story added March/04

Chelton Radomes exhibits at Air Power 2004

Chelton Radomes is exhibiting at the Air Power 2004 Conference and Exhibition to be held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London from 28-29 January.

The Chelton Exhibit will focus on the radome design, manufacturing and test capabilities which Chelton Radomes Ltd. and Chelton Applied Composites AB bring to projects such as Eurofighter Typhoon and Gripen.

Further details of the event can be found at www.shephard.co.uk.

Story added 23/01/04

FAAM AIRCRAFT

Chelton Radomes (CRL) has recently carried out modifications to the nose radome of the RJ 146 aircraft selected for the Met Office Research Flight as replacement for the venerable C-130 aircraft undertaking this role. The nose radome carries a series of probes feeding various research instruments, and under contract to BAE Systems CRL modelled performance of the RDR 4 B weather radar through the probes, implemented the modification, and transmission tested the result. The aircraft has recently been delivered to the customer, and will be operated out of Cranfield. Additional details on the aircraft are given below:

The aircaft is the original BAE 146, first registered as G-SSSH in 1981 as a model 100. In 1987 it was extended to become a model 300 and re-registered as G-LUXE. This registration will be used for the research aircraft. Before the modifications for atmospheric research it had flown a total of about 2915 hours on 3105 sorties. After modification the aircraft will have a “Type Record” of BAE 146-301. It will have a range of about 2000 nautical miles, a ceiling of 35000 feet and a maximum flight duration of a little more than six hours (with a cruise altitude of 27000 feet). It will carry 2 crew and up to 18 scientists.

Story added 23/01/04

CONCORDE BOWS OUT

The last commercial flight of Concorde on October 24th marked the end of a long association between the aircraft and Chelton Radomes, manufacturers of the nose radome, the leading part of the famous 'droop snoop'.

Chelton have been involved with the radome since the aircraft launch, manufactured the entire production run for both British Airways and Air France, and supported the unit throughout commercial operations, totalling some 50,000 flights carrying over 2.5 million passengers.

The design of the radome broke new ground with the need to retain optimum radar performance through the radome at Mach 2, never before attempted for a civil airliner. This requirement meant the radome functioning in temperatures from -50°C to +190°C, with a minimum operational life of 5,000 hours. The manufacturing process was specially developed to meet the critical build precision and repeatability requirements. Evolution of the method selected, Resin Transfer Moulding, has remained the basis of CRL radome manufacturing through to current aircraft such as the RAF Tornado and new Typhoon aircraft.

The last physical link with Concorde on the Stevenage site, the transmission test range tower, vanished only a few months ago with the re-development of the old British Aerospace site.

In addition to the various Concordes now on static display, examples of the radome can be seen both in the Science Museum, London, and at the Duxford Aerospace Museum. At Duxford there is a special Concorde radome section with original drawings, examples of the manufacturing tooling and of the radome itself, to complement the Concorde aircraft displayed outside.

Story added 04/11/03

EH101 MM AT PARIS AIR SHOW

The Paris Air Show provided the first official sight of the new Italian Navy EH101 MM version configured for Airborne Early Warning. Chelton Radomes has been responsible for the design, qualification and manufacture of the 3.5m diameter, belly mounted radome, built of advanced materials to a very precise specification.

The project has required substantial investment in both tooling and RF testing at Stevenage, as can be seen from the pictures.

The aircraft is now in flight trials at the Agusta plant at Cascina Costa, near Milan.

Story added 04/06/03

Chelton Radomes exhibits at Air Power 2003

Chelton Radomes is exhibiting at the Air Power 2003 Conference and Exhibition to be held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London from 29-30 January.

The Chelton Exhibit will focus on the radome design, manufacturing and test capabilities which Chelton Radomes Ltd. and Chelton Applied Composites AB bring to projects such as Eurofighter Typhoon and Gripen.

Further details of the event can be found at www.shephard.co.uk.

Story added 23/01/03

CHELTON RADOMES ACQUISITION OF APPLIED COMPOSITES AB

On Friday 15th November, Chelton Ltd. acquired, from SaaB their subsidiary, Applied Composites AB. Chelton Ltd. manage the Avionics activities of Cobham plc.

Applied Composites is a leading supplier of advanced products to the Swedish Aerospace and Defence industry, including the nose radome for JAS 39 Gripen Aircraft. Its activities are complementary to Chelton's existing Composite Group companies in the UK, and the acquisition will further strengthen the activities within the EU as well as enhancing Chelton's position as the leading radome supplier in Europe.

The existing management team, headed by Björn Thundal, will continue to manage the business.

It is Chelton's intention that Applied Composites AB will be re-named Chelton Applied Composites AB and will continue to trade and be based in Sweden.

Story added 20/12/02